Happy Thanksgiving! This week’s episode is pure stuffing—totally unnecessary, debatably enjoyable. We wander through a spread of Thanksgiving-adjacent tangents, and never serve up a main dish. Think of it as a light holiday bonus episode to enjoy between bites. We're so grateful for you, Risen Christ Church!

This week we try a fun 'draft' approach to the topic of Gospel hope. We each take turns highlighting Biblical themes and passages that bolster our faith in the midst of sorrows.

This week we talk about giving as we explore the neglect of the Levite's portions in Nehemiah 13 and how it relates to the neglect of God's worship. How should Christians think about giving and stewardship?

This week we discuss the Confession of Sin—the moment in our Sunday worship gathering liturgy when we confess and repent of our sins corporately. We discuss how confessing sin allows us to enjoy the access we have to God in Christ by the Spirit and some of the principles and mechanics of how it functions in our worship gathering.

This episode explores what life together looks like after the excitement fades—how ordinary faithfulness and shared commitment form the heart of the church’s witness.

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In this episode, we talk about what genuine, gospel-centered repentance looks like in the Christian life. Coming out of Nehemiah 9–10, we explore how God graciously reveals our sin and how we should respond when he does. We’ll unpack the tension of “Do I really mean it this time?” and show why true repentance always leads us back to trust—to believe again that Jesus’ mercy is greater than our sin, and his Spirit is powerful enough to change us.

This episode explores the Call to Worship—the moment in our Sunday worship gathering liturgy when God, through his Word, calls his people to worship him. We’ll consider its biblical roots, why it’s a vital part of our gathering, and how it helps orient our hearts toward God from the very start.

In this episode, we talk about the two foundational spiritual disciplines—Bible intake and prayer. We explore why they’re essential for every Christian’s life, how Scripture and prayer work together as hearing and responding to God, and what these practices can look like in real life. We also share some helps from our own rhythms and offer simple encouragement for growing in these habits with grace, not guilt.

In this episode, we explore the practice of self-examination—why it’s necessary, where it can go wrong, and how the gospel reshapes the way we look inward.

We’re talking about leadership in the local church. What do pastors actually do? How does the authority of the congregation fit with pastoral authority? Does the Bible point to a team of elders instead of one lead or senior pastor? Along the way, we’ll share how the two of us—Manny and Shane—work together as co-pastors of Risen Christ Church.